Let’s enjoy Liston changes

Renovations mostly completed, but still ongoing at Liston Stadium have been a tremendous boost to Baker University and the Baldwin City community.

The long-anticipated artificial turf, the new track and numerous other improvements to the storied stadium have taken the complex to a new level. State-of-the-art is not something that used to be used when describing Liston.

It is now.

But, with those improvements, there have been growing pains and those continue. The stadium has been unusable for the most part since the last football game of last year when construction began. That wiped out the entire spring track season at home, for one thing.

There were tense moments over the summer as weather conspired to delay the installation of the new track. But, it's finally in place.

However, because of those delays and a need to stay completely off the track while it settles or whatever construction term is used, things will be different at Liston for this year's football season.

The long traditions of lawn chairs for extended seating along the track and in the end zones are no more. Most of the track will be cordoned off with tape and fans are not to cross it.

While it may be new and people don't like change, we think the marvelous changes of the new field and track are certainly worth it.

Leaving the lawn chairs at home is the least we can do. And, maybe next year after all the construction dust has settled, it will be business as usual in a facility that will be nothing but the envy of every small college and high school in the state.